The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) will in April this year forcibly retrench employees who have refused to accept the voluntary exit package that has been on offer since the last 12 months. Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Kgotla Autlwetse on Monday told parliament that employees who have not acceded to BMC’s offer of early retirement will be forced to accept exit packages in April this year.
“Employees were given 12 months to voluntarily exit employment, with January 29th 2016 as the deadline. By April, government will be left with no option but to retrench some of the employees,” he said.
He however added that BMC is still in consultation with the employees through the union. He further revealed that the BMC abattoir was not fully operational as a modern abattoir needs to operate at above 85 percent capacity to be profitable. The Francistown abattoir, commissioned in 1989 has not been able to operate at more than 60percent of its capacity because of challenges compounded by foot and mouth disease among others.
